Updates for the Montessori community: RTT-ELC grants; Infant Floor Beds; QRIS- Next Steps

The US Department of Education announced the latest Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge grant recipients yesterday morning. They are:

Georgia
Kentucky
Michigan
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Vermont

This now brings to 20 the number of states receiving these funds to improve early childhood education and provide greater options for families and children. The Montessori community is active and thriving in Georgia and Michigan and already engaged in  great advocacy work. However, our organizations in the other states are non-existent (as far as we have been able to determine) or are not particularly active. Now is the time to come together as a strong, organized community. If you know people in these states that would like to begin the advocacy process, please refer them to the Resources page on this web site.


Infant Floor Beds are becoming an issue in several states. If your state licensing rules and regulations allow for use of infant floor beds, could you please share your state name and anything that you might know about the process for this variance? If you are able to use floor beds due to a waiver, what information could you share about that process. We are looking for precedent to assist Montessori state organizations as they advocate for the continued use of floor beds in high quality Montessori Infant environments. Thanks.


QRIS- Next Steps

Our next webinar QRIS-Next Steps is scheduled for January 22 from 7-8:30 pm. We will be reviewing past and current information regarding these state systems and will be providing information which will help you advocate for Montessori education.

There are several specific areas of impact on our community, such as recognition of the Montessori teacher credential, alignment with state Early Learning Standards, adaptation of the environmental rating tools, use of materials, and recognition and value of accreditation with a national Montessori organization.

We'll talk about the approaches you can take, the actions you can engage in, and the kind of support and information Montessori Forward can provide. We will share success stories from Montessori organizations across the country, current engagement in several states, and how we can support one another's work.

Register at AMS. This webinar is being provided free of charge. Spread the word.

And, finally, we at Montessori Forward wish you all a happy season. Congratulate yourselves for the hard work you have done!

Montessori Environment Rating Scales

There is a great deal of concern in the Montessori community over the use of inappropriate environmental rating scales to rate Montessori programs for QRIS.  In some states, these scales penalize Montessori programs for not having blocks, plush toys and dress-up corners.  While there are environmental rating scales (such as MRS) that offer a Montessori friendly alternative, they are problematic for a number of reasons and, as of this writing, have not been accepted by any state QRIS agencies.

Is there an alternative that the Montessori community could use?

There are rating scales that have been specifically created for use in a Montessori environment. The problem in using these, though, comes on several levels.

First, QRIS is a state initiative and is managed by a state office or agency. QRIS is, at one level, supposed to be a uniform measure of quality that can be easily understood by any number of stakeholders, and primary among them is parents. Using a different rating tool for each of the early childhood programs that would like to be seen as "unique" opens the state agency to a great deal of time and money and a complication that is not consistent with the goals of QRIS and serves "no purpose" for the state.

Secondly, the commonly used scale has been used for many years. A tremendous amount of reliability and validity research has been done, the instrument has been studied as to its predictive outcome value, and it has a history. States are looking to one another for precedent, states with RTT-ELC grants are working within a specific timeframe, and have requirements within their application that require compliance.

Thirdly, the commonly used scale rates a classroom and program on a variety of components. Environment, and curriculum materials is just one of these. The program's administrative practices, family involvement, staff qualifications and teacher-student interaction, inclusion of special needs students and the programs responsiveness to cultural diversity are all included. The Montessori specific tools which we have seen are limited to specifics of the classroom environment and/or teacher-student interactions.

Montessori educators, just like anyone else, can take the specified training to become a rater using the state tool. However, these raters are "employees" of either the state agency administering QRIS, or are contract workers for the independent which has been contracted by the state to do these ratings. Using Montessori experienced educators to complete ratings in Montessori environments could be an interesting proposal to advocate for within your state.

We do have some precedent for state agencies being willing to work with Montessori educators to adapt the currently used scale, and we are working on precedent for schools which are accredited by a national organization (like AMS or AMI) to earn points within QRIS.

All of these initiatives are issues which the Montessori community can advocate for. By organizing, sharing information, and showing a willingness to work with state agencies, we can help educate, in real, understandable terms, the benefits of high quality Montessori education taught by high quality Montessori teachers.

Look for tools and resources on Montessori Forward. Share your questions, ideas and successes on the List Serve.

Ready or Not, Here it Comes

Why  should we continue to care about QRIS? It's voluntary, right? It's only for public schools, right? It's only about schools that want government funding, right?

Wrong on all counts! What it is, ultimately, is about the definition and assessment of "high quality."
As Montessori educators, we know all about "high quality" in our classrooms and our schools. Certainly there are differences, but we hope we can all agree on certain basic essential standards. The problem is that these are not the standards being considered in the world of early childhood education these days.

If you take a good look at almost every QRIS in the country, you will find certain basic essential standards in the measurement of "high quality."

• Standard 1: Classrooms with the right numbers and kinds of toys, classrooms with the right numbers and kinds of dramatic play and dress up opportunities, classrooms with teachers who interact with their young students in clearly defined ways, classrooms that meet a low teacher: child ratio and maximum group size, and particular furnishings with appropriate labels. Curriculum must align with state set early learning standards.
• Standard 2: "Staff qualifications" which are awarded points for defined levels of education. To be ranked above the level equal to a high school graduate with a Child Development Associate credential (and this is considered lower than an Associate's degree), certain criteria must be met. Professional development approved and/or required by the state Office of Early Childhood Learning and Care. 
• Standard 3: Program criteria which include standards for working with families, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds, standards for inclusion of special needs children, assessment of defined health and safety standards, including materials which can be used by children and in some cases, even the use of floor beds.
• Standard 4: Each program will be required to participate in an improvement plan to be monitored by the QRIS.
• Standard 5: Each program and school will have its level, or star rating, shared with the public- including parents new to the world of ECE who are trying to make the best choice they can for their child. A 5 star rating looks much better than a 2 star rating and if you didn't know anything about Montessori, what program would you choose to look at?

We all want the highest quality early childhood education that can be offered to our children. It's in the definition, the assessment tools, and the implementation of quality that we Montessorians find ourselves in a bind. So let's look at a few facts.

• In many states, especially those with RTT-ELC grants, QRIS is not voluntary. It is, or will be, required of every early childhood program in the state. This means private, public, funds or no funds.
• In many states, the Montessori Early Childhood credential, or diploma, is often ranked at the level of the above mentioned CDA- unless a particular Montessori teacher also has a college degree in early childhood education.
• Most states are using an environment and program rating tool that often results in a low score for a high quality Montessori program (see Our Stories under the Resources tab). We are gathering more and more information from around the country on how Montessori programs are being rated.
• In many states, there are financial incentives for programs with a high star rating. These funds can be used for professional development and a variety of other program needs.

QRIS is only one initiative which is seeking to define and measure quality. The newly proposed Strong Start for America's Children bill, takes QRIS components to a new level. The proposal for universal pre-K relies on very similar standards and measures of high quality. Like it or not, the compliance with standards is not going away any time soon.

If we want to protect an education which know is so beneficial for children and their families, we don't really have a choice but to be a part of conversation. Even in states which have had QRIS for years, these systems are being reassessed, new standards are being included, even national accreditation of programs is being reevaluated.

This website is one attempt to provide you with the information you need to support high quality Montessori education. These QRIS are not set in stone and many state agencies are wanting to hear from the Montessori community. We can have a voice in the decisions which are being made. But we have to speak up.

Let us know at Montessori Forward what you need, ask questions, share your challenges. And look for the successes that your fellow Montessorians are having in their states. We must work together for the sake of our children.

Watch or Rewatch the QRIS Webinar

In late September, AMS hosted a webinar on QRIS, the quality rating and improvement systems that most states are either developing or already have in place to evaluate the quality of early education programs. There is concern that QRIS could negatively impact the Montessori community.

That webinar is now available on the AMS YouTube channel. The title is “Help Protect Montessori Early Childhood Education Quality.”

Because not all of you can access YouTube, AMS will also be adding the Webinar recording to its Vimeo page. (More information coming soon.)

And note, in January AMS will be hosting another QRIS webinar, with updated information. We’ll keep you posted.

 

A Victory in Minnesota!

AMS and AMI have recently gained approval from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to qualify for a 15% rate differential for Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program. This is a great success for both organizations!

Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps to make quality child care affordable for income-eligible families. CCAP can help families pay child care costs for children to age 12, and for children with special needs to age 14. Child care costs may be paid for qualifying families while they go to work, look for work or attend school.

Beginning in February 2014, child care centers and school-age programs accredited by AMS or recognized by AMI will be reimbursed up to 15 percent higher than standard Child Care Assistance Program rates.

AMS and AMI join an illustrious group of approved agencies that includes:

•           Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) Accreditation
• Council on Accreditation (COA) – Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program Accreditation
• National Accreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and Education Programs Accreditation
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation
• National Early Childhood Program Accreditation Commission Inc. (NECPA) Accreditation
• The NHSA Quality Initiative: Head Start Performance Excellence and Quality Recognition Program, offered by the National Head Start Association (NHSA)

Working Together

As we continue our work to move Montessori Forward, we increasingly realize the importance and need for collaboration, cooperation and communication within the Montessori community. We all have the same goal. We know the benefits of a high quality Montessori education for children and their families and we know the importance of sharing what we do so well. Working together, we can be a part of the national conversation on early childhood education.

In her most recent book, Early Childhood Education for a New Era, Stacie Goffin discusses the need for the Early Childhood profession to come together with active leadership and she identifies QRIS as a "Field Unifying Strategy" to explore issues of high quality, teacher qualifications, inclusion of all ECE programs, and common standards. These are exactly the issues we are finding in our Montessori community.

Montessori Forward is an opportunity for opening conversations, for sharing information, for exploring questions, and bringing together our rich and diverse Montessori community. We have added some features recently which we hope will contribute to this goal.

You may now sign up to receive notification of new blog posts. Scroll to the bottom of the Blog page and provide your information so that you will be notified of each post. Add your comments, start a conversation, share your thoughts.

We have also added a List Serve to the website. Just click on List Serve and join our group. This is a perfect place for asking questions, sharing new information and working with others in our community who are advocating for high quality Montessori education in their state.

Collaboration is not easy. So many of  us are used to working in our "silos." But now is the time for us to reach out, to be willing to have conversations with others and to remember that we share a common goal. Let's share that commitment with one voice for Montessori.

What You Need to Know About QRIS in Your State

Over the past few weeks, many of you have asked what you can do to support high quality Montessori education in your state. Your state organizations and coalitions for advocacy are coming together and you are ready for the work ahead. Congratulations! Your efforts so far are proof of your strength in giving one voice to Montessori.

Action must be based on a clear understanding and real information of the problem. Your first action item, therefore, is to learn more about QRIS in your state. On this site, you can go to What Is QRIS and look for the Questions to Ask article. We hope this will be a starting point for you.

There is a good bit of information available about QRIS but it is not always accurate. In states which currently have Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grants, the time line has begun and decisions about QRIS components and meeting the requirements are being made now. (These states include CA, DE, MD, MA, MN, NC, OH, RI, WA, CO, IL, NM, OR, and WI). To find the most up to date information, look to your state Office of Early Learning and Development, Department of Human Services or Children and Families, or just search for QRIS in your state. Use the questions on the What Is QRIS page as a guideline. We have provided an example of a Power Point presentation for CO with their draft proposal for TQRIS- Second Generation.

As referred to in a previous post, 16 states have now applied for RTT-ELC awards. The US Department of Education will be making the next round of grants at the end of December. For those of you in these states ( AZ, AR,CT,DC, GA, IN, IA,KY, MI, MS, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NY, PA, and VT) now is a perfect time to gather your information and strengthen your state group. Even though most states currently have a QRIS in place, with the award of RTT ELC grants, the states must re-assess, revise, and revamp their current system. This means that much can, and likely will, change in your state. One of the best sources of information for you will be the US Department of Education website. Search for RTT-ELC applications and find your state's application. This lengthy but informative document will give you a great deal of information about the proposed plans for using this money in your state. You can also go to your state's Office of Early Learning and Development.
We have provided an example of a Power Point presentation from TX which has a very different time line from states accepting federal funds.

Find out about meetings being held by your state QRIS and go to gather first hand information. Introduce yourself to the presenters. Make sure that you are on the necessary mailing lists. And share this information with everyone in your group.

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing information gathering techniques you are using in your states. And hope that you will share some of what you are finding out with others. For those of you who have already been in touch to share your efforts, thank you. This is your site to connect, learn from one another, and continue to share your questions, challenges, and successes. Use the Contact Us link to post a blog of your own.

Let's move Montessori Forward

Communicate with Diplomacy and Tact, and Collectively

Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact, and Collectively 

Hello, this is Sharon Damore, Executive Director, Association of Illinois Montessori Schools (AIMS).  I am part of the new Illinois State Coalition and we have selected our issue as QRIS.  You might have viewed my recent letter to our Heads/Principals of AIMS member schools to ask them to get educated in the QRIS process in Illinois, ExeleRate Illinois, which includes training on the environmental rating scales (on this website:  go to Resources, click How to, and click on AIMS letter).

Being a good model, I have taken the training on the ECERS/ITERS and PAS in the past few weeks.  And as a result, I learned a valuable lesson that I know I need to pass on to my constituents here in Illinois.  And maybe to you.

We are at a juncture in Illinois where we are not quite ready to speak against the QRIS rating system or to make recommendations even to tweak. But we are learning quickly (from many of you).

When the trainers identified me as Montessori, I was subject to some probing and a couple of disparaging comments that I wasn’t quite prepared for (how are Montessori schools doing with QRIS or I heard there may be some issue with glass and safety?).   With all questions, I smiled, the politician in me “kicked in” and I gave responses such as “well, you will find Montessori a little different but it is a long-time, well respected, evidence based curriculum” or “that’s interesting that you should mention that, wouldn’t it be helpful for the validation to include someone with some Montessori training?”

So, the point is, I could have been defensive and told the individuals that they didn’t know what they were talking about.  BUT I didn’t and I walked away without confrontation but left behind some positive statements about Montessori education. 

Now I will have an adapted strategy that I need to communicate to my Illinis Montessori colleagues:  take the training, listen, take good notes, respond diplomatically.  Not the time to argue…. We represent one another.

And now, once a few of us are trained, we will organize our task force and further develop our strategy.  But we will respond collectively, and constructively, not as individuals, but as one voice in Illinois. 

Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge

The US Department of Education has announced the 16 states that have applied for the next phase of Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge grants.These grants are used to improve and increase high quality early childhood programs, set standards for those programs, and to provide a system of evaluation of those programs that can be shared with the public. QRIS is the mechanism for these evaluations and the resulting "ratings" are being actively marketed to the public.

The new applications for RTT-ELC have been received by:
Arizona
Arkansas
Connecticut
the District of Columbia
Georgia
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Vermont

The states winning these grants will be announced in December and awards will be from $37.5 to $75 million dollars.

If you live in one of these states, now is the time to prepare. Organize your state group/coalition for action. Begin learning about the QRIS system in your state- what is it, what are the standards, which tools are being considered, what does roll out look like? We've found that even states with existing QRIS are taking a second look and revising their systems. This makes for a workable opportunity for the Montessori community.

If there is no current Montessori group in your state, we need you to start one! Check out the how-to under Resources, or contact us on how to get started. It's worthwhile, useful, a great way to connect with other Montessori educators, and can be a lot of fun.

We'll keep you posted about specific action your group can take to protect high quality Montessori education in your state. A great starting place is to complete a state census of all Montessori programs or schools in your state (think inclusive for now). Look at the How To Do A State Census under  Resources. What seems like a daunting task really isn't if you take it one step at a time and get volunteers to help. It can actually be a great way to strengthen your Montessori community.

Continue to share your questions, needs, comments, and experience with us through your blog comments and emails.

Next Steps!

It's been wonderful hearing from so many of you about the advocacy work you are planning or doing in your state. There are lots of great things happening!

The QRIS Subcommittee will be focusing on two advocacy agenda items over the next several weeks. With QRIS, many states have created a professional registry that ranks early childhood teachers based on education and experience. We believe that a Montessori credential from a MACTE approved teacher education program should result in a ranking of "highly qualified" on these state rankings. We will be examining the criteria and expectations for this ranking with the goal of providing a comprehensive look at the Montessori ECE credential to share with state QRIS managers.
You can help in this effort. Let us know if the Montessori ECE credential is recognized in your state and at what level. What was the process for this recognition? How does this impact required professional development?

Our second agenda item will be gaining the approval for the Montessori ECE curriculum. There are states who already recognize the Montessori curriculum as an approved state curriculum. If your state is one, share how that came to be. Do you have a Montessori alignment with your state's ECE standards? What state agency grants this approval? Share with us what you know, or share your questions so we know better what to ask in our state.

By sharing our work and our experiences with one another we benefit from each other's successes, or might have ideas to help one another with the hurdles.

Did you have a good conversation with someone at the QRIS office? Were you able to work through a confusion or help someone better understand Montessori education? Has your state group had good luck with a state census? What is your plan for moving forward? Share your comments, tell your story, let us know how things are going in your state.

This is our Montessori community and together we can support Montessori education.

Questions, Comments? Tell us what you need

Let us know what you learned from the QRIS webinar. What would you like now? Leave your questions and comments by clicking on the Comment Link.

Advocacy: Getting Started

Getting Started

Although there are a variety of forms that advocacy work can take, one of the most effective is Administrative Advocacy.

Administrative advocacy can work on creating new policies, revising current guidelines, and resolving program problems through activities directed toward administrative and governmental agencies. Interacting with a managing agency can be one of the most effective ways to bring change.

Where to start?

1. Educate yourself, and your group, so you can clearly and concisely articulate the problem as you see it. Know the reasons why you are asking for change, what that change would look like, and what the impact of change taking place would be in your community. You will build credibility by being able to share accurate and reliable information.

2. Know your stakeholders. If you are advocating for Montessori programs being accurately assessed for QRIS levels, be able to state how this accurate assessment will benefit parents ability to make best choices for their children.

3. Participate in forums, workshops, webinars and information sessions held by the state agency. Develop a clear understanding of agency goals, standards, and legal and financial parameters. Read your state QRIS, know agency rules, regulations, and requirements.

4. Approach agency staff with an attitude of collaboration, and convey your positive interest in understanding the goals and interests of the agency. Explain your own goals and interests in relationship to those of the agency. Anyone involved with the care and education of young children is concerned with issues of health, safety, and quality. The Montessori community can advocate that our philosophy, curriculum, and educated teachers are one way to assure all three. We do not have to criticize other methods to advocate for our own.

5. Demonstrate a willingness to work with, not against, agency staff. Positive interactions are much more likely to result in positive outcomes. Advocacy does not mean conflict.

6. Develop an ongoing relationship with agency staff. Offer invitations for observation in a Montessori program. Offer to provide workshops, share written materials. Be willing to show how Montessori education can align with state standards. We must be willing to educate adults as well as children.

Look at the Resources tab of this website. We will continue to add How-To's, information about work being done in other states, and provide you with templates and guidance for the important work you are doing on behalf of Montessori education.

Together we will move Montessori Forward.

Thank you to all who joined us on tonight's webinar. We appreciate your participation. Montessori Forward is your site for information, for collaboration, and for consultation. Share your questions, and let us know how we can support you as you Move Forward for Montessori.

Welcome. We hope you enjoy our QRIS webinar scheduled for Sep. 26th 7:00 eastern. Register at AMS.org.

QRIS Progress

Georgia- Action Towards Change

When QRIS was going to be implemented in Georgia, the Montessori Administrators Group took action. It was clear to them that the ECERS-R would not yield an accurate measure or rating of a high quality Montessori classroom or program. One of the finest Montessori schools in the Atlanta area agreed to become a “test case.” This school volunteered to go through the QRIS rating process and the result “wasn’t pretty.” This excellent early childhood educational program paled in comparison to the play based programs assessed using the same tool.

The Montessori Administrators Group reached out to the state day care licensing commissioner and office of QRIS. Their attitude was positive, and confident as they offered to “help” this office. They had data to share in the form of assessment scores of their third year students and they assured the QRIS and day care folks that working together the MAG would “make you look good.”

Last spring and summer, representatives from each group went through every specific items of the ECERS-R with the question “What is the goal of this item?” As the QRIS raters answered that question, the Montessori educators were able to articulate how that goal was being met in the high quality Montessori environment. With lots of discussion, a willingness to compromise, without sacrifice, on both sides led to a verbal alignment of the same standards in the context of a Montessori classroom. An Instructional Quality Guide was created and “Montessori” raters were trained what to look for and how to assess the standard in the Montessori classroom.

The commissioner of the state day care licensing office was so impressed with the process that she came to tour and observe Montessori schools in the area. She began reading the works of Dr. Montessori and is in the process of writing a white paper that will align the ECERS-R with the Montessori classroom.

Change can happen. High quality Montessori education can be advocated for.

For specific adaptation of the ECERS-R for use in the Montessori classroom see

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Montessori_PQA_DefinitionsandClarifications.pdf

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/IQ_Guide_Montessori_Learning_Environment.pdf

Welcome to the Montessori Forward blog.  We're glad you could join us.